


Eater of Worlds

by TeiEsu



Series: EverYone [2]
Category: Glass (2019), Split (2016), Unbreakable (2000)
Genre: Angst, Cannibalism, Depression, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Multi, Past Abuse, Possessive Behavior, Protectiveness, Sexual Content, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:28:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25798162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeiEsu/pseuds/TeiEsu
Summary: Left in a Coma after being hit with a car, Emily wakes up nearly a year later to many changes. No longer able to live on her own at the moment, Barry announces that he and the others would take care of her recovery after being released from the hospital. With Kevin unresponsive even to her, things get even stranger as she notices that only Dennis, Hedwig, and Patricia are the ones she sees anymore. Left in their care in their home beneath the Zoo, there is one side of this strange place they call home that she was told not to wander too, as Patricia called it a 'present' for her.As the days go on, she becomes more and more assured that the trio is involved with something dangerous and it all revolves around someone called The Beast.
Relationships: Barry (Split)/Original Female Character(s), Casey Cooke/Original Male Character(s), David Dunn/Original Female Character(s), Dennis (Split)/Original Female Character(s), Jade (Split)/Original Female Character(s), Kevin Wendell Crumb/Original Female Character(s), Patricia (Split)/Original Female Character(s), The Beast (Split)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: EverYone [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1300280
Comments: 29
Kudos: 61





	1. Voices

_”This is all my fault. You’d have been better off without me; us.”_

_”I shouldn’t have given back the Light. I should have stayed with you. I should have known better.”_

_”You can’t do this to me, Baby girl. You have to stay with us.”_

_”I’m tho thorry! Why? Why do I keep hurting you? It’s not fair!”_

_“What kind of bullshit is this?! Wake up already! If I have to listen to these motherfuckers cry any more, I’ll drive myself insane! Please, Em.”_

_“Considering back in 42 BC, what Octavian and Antony accomplished, this should be easy; especially for you. You’re Strong, Emily. Now prove it.”_

_“I would rather be watching my films right now, but the worrying from the others is obstructing the japanese art. I would be appreciative if you would set their minds at ease so I can get back to enjoying myself.”_

_“Come on, Darlin’, don’t let this get you. I promise if you wake up, I’ll not spoil anymore films for ya; for a while.”_

_”You should have run when you had the chance. I tried to tell you; I’m not sorry.”_

_“Ian’s worried something terrible about you; it’s distracting. Please put a stop to all of this foolery.”_

_“Mary seems cold, but she’s really worried too; we all are. And we will be until you’re better again.”_

_“It’s like you're at college all over again. You’ll come back this time too, won’t you?”_

_“Ah! Your hand! It moved! That’s a good sign, isn’t it? Isn’t it?!”_

_“You need to wake up soon. I need your help! I can't choose which colors to make the next sweaters for the cats that live outside. It’ll be winter soon; they’ll be quite cold.”_

_“I’ve been writing a song for you, you know. You’re a difficult one to put into words. I’ll play it for you when you wake up, love.”_

_“Tú me preocupas. Preocúpanos a todos. Por favor, date prisa y ponte bien.”_

_“The moment you wake up, I’ll make you a feast! You’ll be starving, I just know it!”_

_“If you wanted more of my attention, Котенок, you didn’t have to go this far. Let’s hurry and go skating again.”_

_“This pale green is terrible against your skin. The polka dots don’t help either. Oh my God, I can hear Barry now. Hurry and change before he can see this.”_

_“You promised me that we would visit Salem; I’m going to make sure you make good on that, no matter how long it takes.”_

_“You can’t die on us, little lady. We all know you’re stronger; a fighter. Don’t let us down.”_

_“Faith is what we need at this moment; just faith. God will see us through this, all of us. I have faith that God won’t take you from us. Do you?”_

_”How cruel the world is to you, dear. Of all people, why should you and Kevin be the ones left to suffer? Don’t worry. Soon I shall get you both retribution.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to those old and welcome to those new!! 
> 
> I know I asked for a few days to wait for Part Two to start but I got too excited and couldn't wait. Thank you for taking your time to read my story. I hope you enjoy ^^ <3


	2. The Weight of Scars

She knew it was a dream. Her mother had been dead for nearly twenty-two years now so it HAD to be a dream. Her mother never got to see her grow up or witness her achievements. She had never gotten to meet Kevin or the others important in her life but still Emily spoke and she listened, talking as if she understood everything. As if she had been watching since she left her behind. 

She sat there in the grass of that park, a grown woman letting her mother brush her hair as they spoke. They could have been sisters, not mother and daughter. The sky was a bright blue, not a cloud in the sky nor another person around. Everything was silent, save for Emily’s voice and her mother’s. 

She unloaded everything to her. From the time she died till now. There was so much to tell, so much happiness and sadness; it all went hand in hand. She told her everything she could about Kevin. From Dennis all the way to Rakel. Told her about Julie’s passing, about college. About the animals that she worked with. Mother laughed, amused and announced how proud of her she was. 

How sorry she was. She apologized for leaving her the way she had. She wished that she could have been the mother she deserved. She would have saved Kevin from his mother the moment she knew the abuse was happening and then things could have been so much simpler. Better. 

_“You’ve taken it upon yourself, something so hard. Stay strong. Things always seem bad before they get better. You can survive this; both of you.”_

The brushing of her hair came to an abrupt stop with a jerk. She gave a groan and was overtaken by a loud gasp from her right. 

“Emily?”

The park faded; her mother faded. Emily found herself staring up at a ceiling of white panels above her, the light making her squint. It was so bright and her mind was fuzzy. She tried to think about where she had fallen asleep. This clearly wasn’t her house; especially with that obnoxious beeping to her left…

It was a hospital. The uncomfortable feelings in her arms proved it; as did the stiff bed and quiet atmosphere. It held a sense of dread. Her vision was blurry but she could make out vague shapes. It took a moment before the words came to her mind what they were, but they slowly came. 

“Emily.”

The voice was familiar, as was the face that now moved in front of hers. She felt her lips twitch, as if trying to smile at the worried form before her. In a light blue turtleneck, the man stared down at her, the face familiar. With that face came a warm feeling spreading through her body, revealing that she was so cold.

“Oh my god.” 

It was a feminine voice that came from the male’s mouth, a British accent as the face scrunched up, as if trying to hold back tears. The voice...it was one that she had not heard in years. One that made her lips twitch again. Emily struggled to speak, to say her name, but another word came out instead.

“B-bald.”

Patricia couldn’t help the tears that swelled in her eyes, giving a shaky laugh as she nodded furiously. “That’s right. The hair is gone. So is yours.” Unable to help herself, Patricia hugged the woman laying on the bed, holding her close despite the awkward position. 

Not much else was said between the two of them as nurses and a doctor filed in to check on her. Her memory slowly began to come back to her. Her last memory was speaking to Dennis at the carnival and the doctor confirmed why. 

“A whole year?”

The doctor gave a soft nod, his smile trying to be assuring. “Just shy of it. The crash mainly affected your right side. Shattered your arm and leg. Your spine and neck both sustained injuries and surgery was performed immediately upon arrival.”

“But...why a year?”

His smile was an attempt to keep her calm but all it did was annoy her. Patricia’s silence concerned her. 

“The crash caused heavy trauma to your brain; swelling and bleeding to your RAS. Another surgery had to be performed and then everything was taken out of our hands.” He gave another smile. “I am absolutely ecstatic you’ve come around, Emily. You showed signs of still being conscious but to see you awake and talking after so long, it’s nothing but a miracle.”

Things fell silent again after the doctor left. He would be back in a while to speak more about conditions and where they would go from here but it didn’t lighten her mood at all. 

Neither did the silence.

The woman that sat beside her bed was very quiet, So many emotions were going through her and yet at the same time she just felt...numb. She felt heavy. Emily didn’t even know where to begin. 

No, that was a lie. 

“How?”

The question was simple. Straight forward. Patricia blinked. She had been simply staring at the young woman before her. Her skin had grown paler after all this time away from the sun. The IVs and other tubes hooked up to her to feed her, to keep her alive, it had made her so thin; fragile. For the surgery all her hair had been shaved away, Her auburn hair had grown back, but it was nothing like it was. However, where the surgery had been performed the hair refused to grow back. The sight of it made Patricia sick, angry, and when you added the scars on her arm, leg, and back it only infuriated her more. 

Unable to help herself, the British woman reached forward, combing the short locks back from the other woman’s face, attempting to keep her voice calm and stable. 

“A heroin addict. He was coming down from his high and ran off the road. You and two others were hit. The driver died a few days after the accident.”

There was an undertone to Patricia’s last words but Emily ignored it as she gave off a dark laugh. “An addict? Just like mom. And at the same park!”

What was said next was lost to mumbles as she began to cry. To think that it was nearly the same thing that had happened to her mother, the only difference was that she had survived. 

Perhaps she wasn’t having a dream after all. Perhaps she had met her mother in that park, a part of heaven, as a moment of solace before being sent back. If that was so then it meant that her mother was an angel, and she had been watching over her for a long time now. The thought of that only made her cry harder. 

Patricia was at a loss. She had been since the accident happened. Watching Emily just lay there day after day had torn her apart; it tore them all apart. None of them knew what to do other than the wait and pray and so that’s all that they could do. 

She wanted to hold her, to cry with her, but she had to be the strong one here, for both Emily and all the Alters. She could feel them moving around, wanting to know what was going on, but she blocked them; for now at least. She had to concentrate on Emily right now. The others could wait for a while longer. 

The left arm and leg felt normal, just a bit numb, but the other side...they felt heavy. Heavier than the other side. Her body was registering the weight of the plates and screws, obviously. She feared what moving her back would feel like. 

How she wasn’t paralyzed was, like the doctor said, was a miracle. 

“How’s Hedwig?” Her voice sounded without much of a thought. The nine-year-old had been there when it happened. She didn’t even want to imagine what he had seen.

“He…” Patricia carefully thought over how to explain it. “Could not function afterwards. He believes that it’s his fault, since he wanted to go to the park. He’s been hiding in either Dennis’ room or mine to stay away from the others. They have...not been kind.”

“But...but it’s not his fault. It’s my fault; just like last time.”

Patricia instantly stood up, slipping onto the edge of the bed. She placed her hands on either side of Emily’s face and made her look up at her as she spoke in a firm voice. 

“This is not your fault, Emily, and neither was what happened to your mother. If you do not blame Hedwig then you can’t blame yourself, either. I won’t allow it.” There was a dry laugh and Patricia brushed tears away with her thumbs. “I’m so sorry, Emily. You, of all people, do not deserve what this cruel world has put you through. Your mother. You grandmother. Your house. Now this? And that does not even account for all the smaller things in between, most of them caused by us. If there was ever a true angel, a true definition of purity or perfection, it would be you.”

“That’s a bit far, don’t you think?”

“It’s nowhere near far enough. There are not words that can express enough what I think you are.”

Emily gave a silent sigh, knowing that Patricia would argue with whatever it was that she said. She was thankful, however, that the other woman was here. If she had woken up alone she wasn’t sure how she would have reacted. 

“How are the others?”

“Upset. Worried. We’ve all taken turns to watch over you. Even Norma and Mr. Pritchard wanted to.”

That made Emily glance up. Norma and Pritchard were the duo that seemed to hate her most. If they were concerned and worried, it must mean that they had warmed up to her, at least a little, right? At least that’s how she saw it. 

“But why?” She reached up and grabbed Patricia’s arms. “It’s been a year, Patricia. Why are you still here?”

The older woman combed her fingers through her hair again. “How can you ask that? Being apart from you once was hard enough. None of us could bear it a second time. How could we just leave you in this place alone? How could I?”

Emily had to bite her tongue. She wanted to comment on how it had been nearly five years, six now, since she had last seen Patricia, but now was hardly the time to bring that up; or why she, Dennis, and Barry were at each other's throats.

“I don’t even want to think about the medical bills.” She groaned. “Oh god, work!” She gripped at her head. “I can’t even walk anymore, can I?”

Patricia gave a sad smile. “You will need to learn to walk again. Any thoughts of going back to work soon should just leave your mind for now. As should any worry about money. Between your insurance and Mr. Briars, everything has been taken care of.”

That was, yet again, another shock. Mr. Briars was the CEO of the company her grandfather had created. She still received a wealthy percentage from them, even after all these years, but for him to take care of this? Had he truly gone that far? She would have to call him; thank him.

Hell, she would have to call everyone, though there weren’t many. She could already hear Michael crying.

“I don’t know if I’m blessed or cursed. Perhaps both.”

“It’ll be all right now,” Patricia assured her. “This time we’ll be taking care of you. You’ve nothing to worry about anymore.” She tucked a short lock behind her ear before pulling back a bit. “I promise to keep you safe; just like Kevin.”

“Speaking of, how is he? This didn’t...I didn’t cause another Alter, did I?”

Patricia shook her head. “No, dear. Not at all. Kevin, however…” She paused, knowing how this was going to make Emily feel. “He was the first to take the Light when Hedwig ran, so he saw you right after the accident. He...couldn’t handle it, in a gentle meaning of the word. Kevin has, as you would say, been asleep since then. We’ve tried to awaken him but no such luck yet. Perhaps now we’ll be able to do so.”

Emily closed her eyes. She understood that none of this was her fault but that didn’t stop any of the guilt it made her feel.

How was she ever going to fix this?

“Well perhaps I can. I am magic, after all. Hell, maybe I’m a superhero! I’ve surely been through enough to rival Batman’s origin trauma.”

Patricia couldn’t help but laugh. Emily’s sense of humor was always different; dark. After so long without it, it was like music to her ears.

“We need to take things one step at a time now. Focusing on your recovery comes first. Your mind and body will remember the more you move and think and your diet will be...complicated, but we’ll get through it; together.”

Emily nodded. “You’re right. No rushing things. First thing, however, is Hedwig. Do you think he’ll want to see me?”

The British woman looked upon her with adoration. She cared more about their mental stability than her own physical one. Not even the weight of her scars could take away Emily’s purity.

An Angel indeed.


	3. Bigger Problems

“She’ll never walk normally again.”

“Hell, she’ll never BE normal again.”

“She wasn’t normal to begin with; not after meeting us.”

“I’ve _literally_ done nothing wrong. I’m just a priest. You’re the pervert.”

“Giving her a hickey does not make me a pervert! Besides, I’m the one that put a fire under Kevin’s ass and got him to make a move on her before he lost her; for all of us.”

“On a sixteen-year-old, mind you.”

“She was old enough!”

“Not when you’re 29!”

Barry gave the two men in the room a frown. “Can you not? She’s awake now; be thankful and happy.”

Ansel and Samuel looked at each other again before both crossed their arms and turned their heads away. Barry ran a hand over his head in frustration as he turned his attention back to the sleeping man before them.

She was still alive. Emily had woken up from her coma. There were not enough words to describe the weight that Barry now felt lifted off of his shoulders. It was simply replaced by another dread, however, as Kevin had yet to awaken again, even a month after Emily returned to them. They had tried everything they could think of but nothing seemed to work. Barry thought one time he had succeeded, but Kevin just rolled over and continued to sleep.

The night of the accident, when he had taken the Light from Hedwig, Kevin had seen Emily’s body, he had wanted nothing more than to disappear. It left Barry in a panic as he had to take over again. He’ll never forget that sight; all the blood. He didn’t cry a lot but that view...it broke him.

But he had to stay strong. He was the leader, the boss. At least he was now. Everyone turned to him for answers more than ever before. He did his best to do what he felt was right and had taken over Kevin’s daily life. Work. Home. Visits to Doctor Fletcher and any other tasks that were placed upon Kevin. He only relented the Light when he found himself too exhausted to continue or when he went to the hospital to check on Emily.

He swore that he spent more time there then he did at home anymore.

At the hospital, however, he would give the Light to others on rotation. Everyone had wanted to watch over Emily. He had even given the Light to Dennis and Patricia, though he kept a close eye on them when he did. Both Dennis and Patricia had been scared beyond belief when they were told what had happened. It was almost as if they had returned to their old selves in his eyes, back to when it was just the three of them with Emily and Kevin; he had even held Patricia as she cried on him when they learned she was stuck in a coma. It didn’t mean he trusted them, however; not after what they had done. There was still a concerning darkness that he could feel coming off of them, Patricia more so, but Dennis was...still loyal to Patricia.

At least that’s how Barry saw it.

Patricia talking about _The Beast_ constantly didn’t help with his mindset on her, either. It almost kept him from letting her see Emily at all.

He was at such a loss; over a lot of things, but he was doing his best to deal with it in the right way. B.T. and Luke had stepped up as much as they could to help him, and for that he was grateful. Ansel and Samuel were helping a lot too, the Priest having been the one to deal with work that morning before Luke took over to go see Emily in the hospital afterwards.

The young woman had been going through some physical therapy now that she was awake. They were easing her off of a liquid diet; he had never seen someone so happy to eat crackers in his life. However, it was her leg and back that concerned him more than anything. Her back was taking longer to return to normal than her legs, meaning that she was to wear a brace when moving around. She was maneuvering around in a wheelchair when not in therapy and the doctor’s had informed them that a cane would most likely be needed for the rest of her life.

Emily had tried to make a joke out of it, claiming she wanted a cane like John Hammond’s from Jurassic Park, but it did nothing to make Barry, or the others, feel better.

With a sigh, Barry sat on the foot of Kevin’s bed, running his hands over his face.

“You all right, Barry?” Samuel looked at the other man. “You look exhausted.”

“He _always_ looks exhausted.” Ansel replied. “You’d think a fashionista like him would know how to hide those bags under his eyes.”

Any other time he would have laughed at the figure skater. He just didn’t have it in him this time.

“I’m not sure what it is,” Barry admitted. “I’m losing time and I don’t know why.”

“Could you simply be giving the Light to someone else?” Ansel asked, arms still crossed.

“Not at all. I remember when I give the Light up. Something else is happening here, I just don’t know what it is.” He glanced up at the duo. “I think someone’s stealing it from me when I’m not aware.”

Samuel pulled a face. “How is that possible?”

“I’ve no clue. I just know that our problems just keep getting bigger and bigger as time goes on.”

“Could it be Norma or one of the others in her little ‘Anti-Emily’ squad?” Samuel pondered.

“As if. Norma doesn’t want the Light any more than Polly or Bernice does, those introverted freaks.” Ansel growled. “If anyone’s behind it, it’s got to be Patricia. All her Beast bullshit. She’s trying to scare us. We can’t let her do that.”

“Since we can’t wake Kevin up, Emily is my biggest concern now.” Barry told them both. “I don’t want her involved with any of this.”

“Kind of hard,” Ansel frowned. “She’s been involved since all of this started. Are _you_ going to be the one that ignores her now? You know how hard that was on her; on all of us.”

“We’re all she has,” Samuel said sadly. “She has no one.”

“What about Michael?” Barry asked.

“He’s visiting his sister, remember? After he was denied the child he and Nathan wanted to adopt, well...he’s in no condition to look after anyone right now and I don’t know Nathan enough to trust him with her care.” Ansel answered. “Face it. We’re the only ones who can because I refuse to leave her in the hands of some nurse or something. I thought you wouldn’t have an issue with that.”

“I don’t have an issue with it,” Barry told him. “I’d quit the Zoo and care for her full time if she would allow it, but we all know how she is. It’s the circumstances that concern me. The loss of time and those three; the boy included.”

“The Horde.” Samuel nodded his head, gripping his chin.

Ansel gave a snort. “What kind of bullshit name is that?”

“You come up with something better.”

“The Trio is better than Horde. We’re not involved with all the Beast shit, nor will we be. I’m not scared of some damn bedtime story that woman created.”

“Anyway,” Samuel changed the subject back to what was important. “You may be other thinking it a bit, Barry. This is Emily. There’s no way Patricia or Dennis would do anything to hurt her. They’d kill someone else, first, and even then she wouldn’t be in harm’s way from them.”

Barry lowered her face, hiding the dark look that now sat there, exposed. At least Samuel was right on that subject. Patricia would rather kill someone than risk exposing Emily to harm again; she had done it once before, after all.

Barry wasn’t supposed to see it. Technically he didn’t; just the aftermath. The night in the park, when Emily had met Kevin’s mother face to face, they had all watched the confrontation through Kevin. Patricia was the one that grabbed the Light when Kevin gave it up and instantly everyone was blocked out. The same had happened when she gave the Light to Dennis later that night.

The bad feeling he got continued into the night, and he was ready the moment that Dennis faltered. He was able to see what Patricia had done.

She had killed Kevin’s mother; Dennis was cleaning everything up. Patricia had killed Penelope with a plant known as foxglove. When ingested, either from leaves or stems, it can cause many dangerous symptoms. Paired up with everything else wrong in the woman’s body, it was diagnosed as a heart attack instead of murder.

Patricia had gotten away with murder, yet metaphorically leaving the blood on Kevin’s hands.

Barry wouldn’t have had a problem with Dennis, had he not defended Patricia’s actions. Barry had brought Emily into it and it had led to an exchange of blows between the two men before the others before the others had pulled Dennis off of the effeminate man.

It was then that Barry labeled both Patricia and Dennis too unstable to keep getting the Light and, slowly, he made sure that they got it less and less. He kept a close eye on them, keeping Penelope’s real cause of death a secret from the others but now that Emily would be closer...should he tell the others the truth? Should he tell Emily the truth?

It was a choice that left him with a collection of terrible results, each worse than the last.

“You’re right. Emily is the last person that Patricia would want to hurt, _IF_ Patricia is the one behind the loss of Light. I’ll figure out who it is, but in the meantime we need to get ready for Emily’s release. She’ll be with us, meaning that we have to stay at her place.”

“Stay at her place? She lives on the eighth floor of the only damn apartment in Philly that doesn’t have an elevator! She’s not going to be able to move up and down those stairs, Barry.” Ansel told him. “We can’t have her go there.”

“The only other place is ours.” Samuel agreed. What little stairs there are is only one or two steps. She’ll be fine with that. Everything else is inclined; easy for a chair when she needs to rest and get around."

“It’s even better because we’re literally right above her,” Ansel continued. “If she needs us, she can just call us.”

“We won’t have our phone on us while working, you know.”

“Then we’ll get another radio. A special pair for just the two of us so the other workers can’t hear us over the line. And even if they do hear it, what will it matter? Chris and the others will completely understand. They all know Emily; they’d be heartless to refuse it.”

“It’s the only place we have to take her,” Barry agreed. “And we’ll get separate radios. We can’t get Wi-Fi or signals due to the area, so we have to make sure we have enough movies and books and games and other things for her to entertain herself with while we’re at work.”

“We’re definitely gonna have to clean this place up,” Ansel hung his head. “Perhaps we should let Dennis loose on it. He won’t be able to resist.”

Even Barry had to laugh at that one. It wasn’t untruthful, either. He would truly consider it later. He didn’t think he would have too much of an issue from the other man; not on this.

“You don’t think bringing her here is going to hurt her, do you?”

Barry looked up at the Priest. “What do you mean?”

“Well, this is all she’s wanted her entire life; the Zoo. To work with the cats. Now we don’t even know if she can recover enough to do so; not like before. You don’t think being so close will make her depressed? Working so hard for this, four years of college, just for it all to be taken from her? It’s not a pleasant situation.”

“No, it’s not.” The Boston accent made the trio turn to the man in the doorway. Dennis was cleaning his glasses before pushing them back onto his face. His expression was still hard but the sorrow on it was still easy to see. “But Emily is strong. She always has been. If anyone can recover from this, it’ll be her.”

Ansel nodded in agreement. “He’s not wrong. She probably won’t even tell us if it gets to be too much for her. That’s just how she is. Sometimes I wish she _would_ complain. Shed some tears, at least.”

Barry chuckled. He always felt uncomfortable around Dennis but this time, with Samuel and Ansel there, he was at ease. The other man barely came out of his room anymore, so he had come to Kevin’s room for a reason. Most likely to try to wake him up, like they had been.

“Like he said, she is strong. We have to help her every step of the way.” Barry replied.

“When is she getting released?” Ansel asked him.

“Next week. We have to help her keep up with her therapy and pace her on her food. She’s been immobile for a year. She could hurt herself if she tries to move too fast.”

“Perhaps we should baby-proof the place,” Samuel suggested. “Just in case.”

“I can take care of some of the more dangerous places if I come across them,” Dennis told them all, his eyes never leaving Barry’s face. “I can make it safe for her.”

Barry sucked on his tongue for a moment before nodding. “I’ll leave the cooking to Felicia, too. She’ll know what to do with all of that.”

“Won’t the doctor give us papers on what she can eat and what she can’t?” Samuel asked.

“The moment Felicia sees it, she’ll just toss it out. She’ll take care of it and in the right way.” Ansel gave a sigh. “I wonder how long we’ll have to do this.”

“As long as it takes,” Dennis’ voice was cold as he turned from the room; most likely to go see Patricia. “As long as she needs us to.”

Barry nodded in agreement. The other two accepting that as the truth as well. With Dennis gone now, Barry took a breath. He prayed that these decisions didn’t evolve into bigger problems; for all of them.


	4. Plans

"He's ignoring me. I'm gonna beat his ass!"

"That's why I can't let you in, Baby Girl!" 

"He's being a pussy and you know it, Barry!"

“I can’t disagree but I still can’t let you in! Put the cane down and I’ll consider it!”

Emily gave a groan and turned from the door. “This is bullshit!”

Barry popped his head out from the doorway, ready to pull back in if she launched again. “We really need to keep you from Ansel and Jade. You cuss far too much nowadays.”

She glared at him. “Can you blame me?”

Barry gave a sad smile. The young woman had every reason to be annoyed. It had been a month since she had been released into their care and she had been so calm and normal but being locked up in this home, refused to be allowed outside unless Barry or one of the others were with her, she was beginning to grow irritated and it was showing. Adding that to the fact that she was now forced to use a wheelchair to get around most of the time, it made her feel weak; helpless.

Add that with the fact that not even she could get Kevin to wake up, it just made her feel worse. Kevin normally popped right awake when her presence was close, whether he wanted to face her or not. It wasn’t working this time and Barry didn’t know if it would ever change or not. 

He watched her as she moved towards the recliner that they had placed in what was considered the living space of these quarters beneath the Zoo. The first thing that Emily did when she left the hospital was get a haircut. She had wanted to shave it all off completely, said she wanted to match Kevin’s hair now, but Heinrich refused to let that happen, taking it upon himself to choose a chopped looking pixie cut that she ended up loving. The right side of her head bore the scar from surgery and so the line where she was sewn back up was still visible and always would be, but she didn’t care; or just didn’t show it. 

The scars from where she had plates placed into her arms and legs were clearly shown as well, as she wore a pair of llama shorts and a tank top, refusing to have changed out of her pajamas from the night before. Wrapped around her waist was a black brace. Barry had made sure to buy a brand new wheelchair for her to use here. Dennis had changed one of the rooms into a bedroom for Emily, moving her possessions from her apartment in and freeing her from rent. She had her own bed but most of the time whoever held the Light would convince her into Kevin’s bed for cuddles and to keep a closer eye on her in the night. One wrong roll could end up as back pains.

Barry understood how embarrassed Emily was. She couldn’t even take showers on her own at the moment. He normally let Jade or one of the other women help her with that, not trusting the men while she was naked. He didn’t even trust himself, to be honest. Sex should be the last thing on anyone’s mind right now until they got her back to a hundred precent. Even then he had no clue how they were going to go about that. Besides, he didn’t think any of them were ready for it. 

He watched as she sat in the wheelchair, staring at the recliner with a dead look on her face. He moved forward and took the seat himself before reaching for her hands. 

“Come here, baby girl.”

She looked at him before giving a sigh and hanging her head. He gave a soft chuckle and stood up to pick her up himself. He hated how much she weighed now; it was so light compared to before the accident. Perhaps he wouldn’t be as concerned when she started gaining more weight. 

Keeping her spine curved for too long was a bad idea so he made sure that his back was straight and placed her in his lap, holding her from behind as he rested his chin on one of her shoulders. Her arms sat limply in her lap for a moment before one of them moved to interlock with his fingers. 

“I’m sorry about Kevin.”

“It’s not your fault, Barry. It’s no one’s fault. Kevin is just...too fragile. I tried to help him, and for a while it was working, but I left you all for too long and everything we struggled to accomplish was ruined.”

“You can’t blame yourself for living your life, Em.”

“I’m not,” She told him. “I blame the world. I blame his mother.” Barry did his best not to react at the mention of Penelope. “If she hadn’t been so terrible to him then none of this would have happened.”

He closed his eyes. “There’s nothing to be done about the past. We can only move forward now.”

“You’ve been around Samuel too much.”

“Perhaps,” He didn’t even try to deny it. “I’m off tomorrow. Do you want to move around the Zoo?”

“And deal with the others staring and pitying me? No thanks.” She huffed. “Let’s go somewhere they don’t know us. You should file for a vacation. Let’s get on a train and leave Philly for a week. It’s under an hour to New York you know.”

He pressed his cheek into her’s. “And what is it you want to do in New York?”

“I don’t know, but I know there’s Broadway and shops and maybe I can push some nosey brat that asks why I’m in a wheelchair off the Statue of Liberty or something.” 

Barry snorted and leaned back in the chair. “You can’t joke about things like that!”

“I know, I know.”

Emily used her free hand to trace the scars on her arm. From the glass. From the surgery. She would always wear long sleeves when they went out. She was going to die when summer came back around. 

Thank god it was cold in the fall in Philly.

“I’m sorry, Barry.”

He gave her a slight squeeze/ “I’ve told you before that you don’t have any reason to apologize. You weren’t driving. You weren’t jaywalking. Hell, you weren’t even drinking. No fault is on you.”

“I suppose God just hates me.”

“Then he can hate us both.” Barry assured her. “And I’m positive that the others would happily agree. Now, no more sad faces. Let’s get some food and watch a movie, hmm? I’ll talk to my boss about taking a vacation before the holidays hit.”

“Technically Kevin is the boss; which makes whoever’s in the Light the boss.”

“Exactly,” He kissed her cheek. “Now what do you feel like eating?”

“It doesn’t matter, as long as you don’t eat ice cream in front of me like Goddard did, that asshole.”

“Shame on him,” Barry laughed. “I’ll be sure there’s only Rocky Road ice cream for a week. His cookies and cream can get tossed.”

_~We're living in a world with madness in the shadows_   
_I'm here to keep you safe, protect you from the dark_   
_Uhhhh-uh, sometimes I feel like a monster_   
_Uhhhh-uh-uh-uhhh, but I know what's best for you~_

_~Are you sure you still want to stay there?~_

The beeping is what dragged her attention to the laptop that sat on the edge of the bed. All Lights were off, save for the small, dim lamp on the bedside table and the screen. Tired eyes stared at the dark screen, silently cursing the messenger. She didn’t have the energy to really deal with him, she never did, and he knew it. 

He also knew that she didn’t sleep well and yet chose to message her this late at night. It was hard for her to sleep at all anymore so she always found ways to keep herself busy. 

Staring at the ceiling and slowly slipping into madness just didn’t work for her anymore.

_~Of course. I’m too invested now. I can’t just abandon them.~_

_~Your obsession is terrifying; and kind of a turn-on.~_

_~Barking up the wrong tree, Wade, or should I introduce you to my boyfriends again?~_

_~You and I both know those bitches have nothing on me.~_

Rubbing her eyes, she reached for the bottle beside her, frowning at the discovery of it being empty. It had been water but she silently wished for it to be alcohol. It wouldn’t really help with her predicament at the moment but it would be nice; Brandy sounded very nice. 

There was a sound out in the hall and she glanced at the door. A hurried, hushed voice sounded as well and she closed her eyes. The other inhabitant of the apartment didn’t sleep well, either. 

Perhaps she should consider joining them out in the living room and watching a movie or something. It was better than laying here amongst papers and dealing with her number one admirer. 

Another beep made her glance back to the screen.

_~But in all seriousness, it’s been years. What are you waiting for?~_

_~It’s just a feeling I have. There’s a reason, I know it. Have I ever been wrong before?~_

_~You don’t get it. THAT is what worries me; especially since Cole is with you.~_

_We’ll be fine. If I can’t get anything soon then I’ll move on; set your mind at ease.~_

_~When you do, please change your username. Therababe869 makes you sound like a stripper.~_

_~Thanks, Uniballz007. I’ll keep that in mind.~_

With another beep, the messages disappeared, untraceable and lost to all. She stared at the screen for a moment before stretching out her arms and back. She wanted nothing more than a vacation. It would be nice to return to Transylvania again or perhaps they could go to Italy this time around. Somewhere before she gets another job to deal with. 

The thought of the fresh country air and not the pollution off the large cities made her want to leave even more and that mindset was not helping her with her current issues. 

Tossing herself back on her bed, the sound of papers hit her and she pulled them up so she could stare at the report. The face that stared down at her made her frown. She had been staring at this face for almost 13 years now. Even after she was done here she was positive that it would continue to haunt her for the rest of her life.

But what could she do? A job was a job, after all.

“Come on, Mr. Glass. Show me your cards.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has come to my attention that I messed up ages a bit. On the site, it said that Kevin was 3 when his father left but in the movie he's actually 13. I apologize for this, since it means that Kevin won't be 32 during Split and Glass. They are currently around 28, 29, so it just shaved off a few years ^^'.


	5. Anger

“You know, I never thought that I would miss such a shitty place and yet here we are.”

“Hey! This is where we live, you know. You too, mind you!”

“That’s the point, Barry. We _LIVE_ here. Under the goddamn zoo! I’m surprised we can’t smell all the animal shit from down here!”

“And you’d know what that smells like firsthand?”

“It’s almost like I was an employee there or something! Imagine that!”

Barry gave a soft smile. “You’ll always be the best, Em.”

“I’m far from the best but it’s appreciated.”

It was getting closer and closer to the holidays, Thanksgiving right around the corner and Christmas and New Years right after. The group went to New York for a week, happily enjoying the city and what it had to offer. Broadway had to deal with Emily and a different Alter every night for a week as did the Cafe shops that they took part in. They even checked out some new established Escape Rooms but the entire time Emily couldn’t help but feel...depressed. 

She could walk a bit on her own but she was still told to use the wheel chair for long distances or prolonged standing. While walking, she would have to wear a knee brace and use a cane. 

The doctor had informed them that she would be left having to use a cane to walk for the rest of her life. The knee brace helped but not for prolonged walks. It had also ruined Emily’s chances of continuing her work at the Zoo; with the animals, at least.

The Zoo had offered to transfer her to the office, or the ticket booth, but they would no longer allow her to work with the big cats. 

It seemed the bad luck streak had yet to leave Emily Thompson alone. She was surprised that they had even made it out of New York without something else going wrong. 

She wondered just what else could happen to her; short of death, of course. 

“Now that you’re home, what can I get you to eat? It was a small breakfast earlier and if I’m starving then you must be, too.”

Barry had walked off into the kitchen, leaving her to follow. Her chair couldn’t make it through the doorway so she left it behind, limping down the hall and into the kitchen. She gave a shudder at the sight of the colors. She had been plotting with Heinrich to paint over it and end the travesty it was.

As she took a seat at the table, the man turned to her with a large smile. “So, what’ll it be? Felicia is asleep at the moment so I’m afraid you’re stuck with little ol’ me to feed you. We have soup, spaghetti, or I can make sandwiches.”

Sandwiches. The option brought back memories to her. Memories that she hadn’t thought about for a while and it brought forward some things that she needed to talk to Barry about.

She had been avoiding the subject for far too long; it was time to address the problem that had been part of the looming cloud over them. 

“Since Felicia is sleeping, why not let Patricia cook? It’s been a while since I’ve had her cooking.”

She watched as Barry’s smile faltered a bit. She had been around him long enough to know that he was now uncomfortable; that he would lie to her. That annoyed Emily even more. 

Everything annoyed Emily at this moment. Her entire world had been completely ripped from her. Her job. Her ability to walk. Her home. Her dreams. And now, the only person she had left in the world wasn’t talking to her, AGAIN, leaving her with the split personalities in his head. Adding that Barry was keeping Dennis and Patricia locked up like some kind of criminals and then lying to her about it all, keeping it from her, it only fueled the fire that she felt in her stomach. 

It unhinged her mouth and emotions even more. 

“Patricia has her hands full at the moment so I’m afraid you’re just stuck with me.”

“Hands full? Surely if you tell her I’m asking she won’t mind. Besides, don’t you think she’d enjoy the fresh air for a bit?”

His face didn’t move, that small, fake smile still on his face. “I’ll be sure to let her cook for you next time, ok? I-”

Emily’s expression darkened as the man turned from her and began to pull from the fridge, talking away. He was trying every tactic he knew to try and drag the course of the conversation away from Patricia. 

What Dennis had told her the night of the accident had been true; all true.

_“Patricia and I...we...we did something. Something that Barry didn’t like.”_   
_“Just Barry or the others, too?”_   
_“Just Barry. It’s not...something that he would tell others about.” Dennis told her. “Not the others, nor Kevin, nor you, either.”_   
_Pieces began to fit in Emily’s head. “This all started before I left for college, didn’t it? It started years before.” She reached forward and grabbed his shoulders. “What happened, Dennis? What did you and Patricia do?” She squeezed her grip. “What could possibly be so bad that Barry would shun you two? The three of you are the oldest; been together the longest. It just...it doesn’t make sense, Dennis!”_   
_The biggest issue of Dennis was the iron will he could have. Every now and then she could get him to bend and tell her anything but it was clear that Dennis had been left on his own for far too long. There was now some type of barrier up around him that even she might not be able to break through now._   
_“I know you’re confused and want answers but that’s not why I wanted to speak to you.” He leaned forward, pressing his lips against her forehead and catching her off guard. “I merely came to apologize for not being able to see you in so long.”_   
_“Of course I want answers! You guys...you can’t keep me in the dark like this. It’s not fair!”_   
_“I…” He went silent for a moment. “I’m scared.”_   
_Emily pulled back to look at his face fully. “Scared? You?”_   
_Just what had they done? For it to scare Dennis...it was unbelievable. It had to be something beyond serious_   
_“Dennis, you can tell me. Whatever it is we can work it out. We always have before, haven’t we?”_   
_“I can’t,” The man shook his head. “Patricia...she’s the one you need to talk to. She should be the one that has to tell you. Barry won’t like it, though.”_

She had promised that she was going to confront Barry about all of this, to find out just what it was that was going on between the three of them. The accident had pushed this conversation off long enough. 

“Why are you lying to me, Barry?”

Barry turned back to her. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been purposefully keeping Dennis and Patricia from the Light. Have been for years. Why?”

Barry set the knife down and gave a nervous chuckle. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about, Baby Girl. Are you feeling alright? Maybe you need a nap first instead of food.”

“Dennis told me, Barry.” She stared at the cane in her hand. Unable to look at the man’s face. Part of her wanted to stare him down. “Told me that you saw something that he and Patricia had done, that it made you so mad that you began to pit the others against them; to hide them from me.”

Barry’s face was hard; cold. It was very apparent that this was not the conversation that he was wanting to have nor expected. She was now confident that Dennis’ words had been true and it only made her feel angrier. 

“When did you speak to Dennis?”

“The night of the accident. Hedwig allowed him to take the Light. He wanted to apologize for being locked away. _HE_ is the one that’s sorry, Barry. Why? Why does he need to be sorry? What is it that you’re hiding from me.”

“It’s better if you don’t know. It’s for your own safety, Emily.”

“How? How is it for my own safety!?” She looked up at him. “What could they have possibly done to merit your treating them like this? The three of you...you were the very first. You would think that you would be the strongest; the most helpful. Why would you turn on eachother?”

“That doesn’t need concern you. Just believe me that I do this all in your best interest; in Kevin’s best interest.”

Emily’s hand slammed on the table, making the man jump slightly. “Best interest? How? How is this best for either of us?! You’re keeping me in the dark Barry, and without explanation. You have to tell me. I deserve to know!” She leaned forward. “This all started long before I left for college and I pretended not to notice but know I know that was my fault! Well, I’m not going to let this continue. You’re going to tell me what it is you caught Patricia and Dennis doing even if I have to make you!”

“I don’t have to tell you anything!” Barry’s shout made her jump. Never before had he raised his voice against her like this; ever. The anger in his voice, on his face, it made her think of Dennis but that only fueled her anger. 

“Maybe you’re the problem here, not them, Barry! This game you’re playing, it’s not like you; or Kevin. When did it all change? When did you believe that you couldn’t trust me anymore?”

“I do trust you, Emily, I just don’t want you to get hurt!”

“Well, too fucking late for that!” She knew that she was being cruel, being unfair, but she was now too angry to take it back. Much like that night on the playground to Kevin, she let her mouth just go off. “Maybe the real problem is you, Barry. Maybe you’re keeping Kevin asleep on purpose and have turned the others against Dennis and Particia to keep Kevin down and take the Light for yourself.”

Barry glared at her and it was in that moment that she messed up. She knew that she had taken it too far but she couldn’t take it back; not right now. There was no way possible that she could take them back right now; not while this angry. 

Barry simply glared at her for a moment before turning away. He walked past her without a word, leaving her in the kitchen alone. She jumped up, moving after him. “You can’t walk away from this, Barry! Not this time! I-”

She forgot about the small ledge that led into the hallways from the kitchen and her foot caught it. She tried to stable herself, to keep from falling but it didn’t work. She could taste the blood from her tongue as she bit down on it from impact and as she fell on her hands and knees a cry escaped her. The pain that shot through her right side...it was the first time that she had fallen since being released from the hospital. It was unbelievable. Unbearable. 

Emily rolled over onto her back, trying to catch her breath as tears blinded her vision of the pale walls and ceiling above her. Tears from pain. From anger. From defeat. Disappointment. 

“You’re unbelievable, Thompson. Simply unbearable.”

More curses, at herself and her predicament, exited her mouth. Here she was, stuck on the floor now and crying with no way to get back up until someone came to her. She could try but she wasn’t sure if she would succeed. 

How helpless she felt. 

How helpless she now was. 

“Hey, whatcha’ doing on the floor?” 

She wasn’t sure how long it was she laid there, she almost laughed because she had begun to doze off but a head blocking the light made her eyes open again. 

Hedwig’s goofy smile made her smile back. 

“I’m trying to decide what colors to paint the ceiling. This tapioca shade is just depressing.”

Hedwig gave a laugh before dropping on the floor beside her, staring up at the ceiling as well. “I’d go with a shade of blue. Or maybe a green. I’m good with any colors you pick; you’ve good taste.”

Emily snorted. “Yeah, sure.”

Hedwig titled his head to look at her sideways and frowned. The streaks from tears were still clear, at least to him. He gave a pout. 

“Did Barry make you cry?”

Emily shook her head. “I made myself cry. Sometimes you just need to cry, you know? It can make you feel better afterwards.”

The child still frowned before reaching up and patting her head. “Don’t worry, Miss Patricia said you won’t cry for much longer.”

Emily glanced at him. “Why did she say that?”

“She wouldn’t say, other than that she would take care of things. She and Dennis have a plan, I think, but I don’t know what it is this time. It’s got nothin’ to do with the Beast; not this time, at least.”

Emily frowned at him. “That bedtime story again? Is that why you took the Light? You’re scared again?”

There was a nervous laugh. “Y-yeah! Scared! Let’s go watch _Jurassic Park_ or something.” He glanced at her. “I’mma have to get Dennis to pick you up, though. You’re too heavy, et cetera.”

Emily gave an offended gasp. “Did you just call me fat!?”

“Too fat for me, yeah, but the others think you should eat more. Luke’s complaining that you don’t got thick thighs anymore.”

The woman tossed a hand over her eyes, unable to hold back her laughter. Leave it to Hedwig to not mind speaking his true thoughts.


	6. Split

Something was terribly off. 

Jade had been able to feel it the moment that Barry practically jumped out of the Center Chair. She hadn’t been there to witness it but BT had and apparently he was pissed. The fashionista had locked himself up in his room since then, refusing to speak to anyone. That was unusual for the young man and it indicated that he and Emily had gotten into a furious altercation. 

That was the only explanation. 

Emily was the only one that could make Barry that emotional, angry or not. 

This whole setup was nothing but a disaster. Neither they nor Emily were to blame but the situation was just too...it was bullshit. None of them were able to catch a break, it seemed. She understood the frustration that Emily felt. For a moment Jade believed that all her bad luck started the moment she met Kevin but she kept her mouth shut on that. 

She didn’t need the others scolding her again. 

The entire place had been gloomy since Barry had given up the Light. Jade had been in her room, not sure who had taken the Light after him, and reading a magazine when the sudden shift in the air happened. Normally, inside Cerebro, it was calm until something outside happened. That shift was recognizable, but this one...this one was different. 

Jade was positive that the shifting was coming from inside. 

It was a feeling that she had never felt before. Something was just...off. The ill feeling was not one that she wanted to feel often, if at all, and it worried her. She could feel the others starting to worry as well and then, suddenly, she felt them disappearing. It was almost as if they were drifting off to sleep, one by one. It was happening at an alarming rate, as if they were being snuffed out. 

Jade set her magazine aside, waiting. There went Luke. Ansel. Felicia. They were dropping fast. But how? Why? What was causing this?

And then she felt Barry drop off. Her worry grew, not just for herself but for Kevin as well. She could still feel him, asleep like he had been for nearly two years. Was he going to drop off, too? 

She decided to go check on him but when she opened her door, someone was already waiting on the other side.

Patricia smiled down at her. “Let’s have a talk, shall we?”

Jade stared up at her for a moment, swallowing nervously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, but necessary.


	7. Playing Eachother

David Dunn didn’t know how to feel. So many emotions mixed together as he stared at the door before him. He had been staring at the brass 869 for the last ten minutes, trying to convince himself to knock and announce his arrival. He had raised his hand three times to knock and every time he just let it fall back to his side.

When had he been nervous in picking someone up for a date? Not since college.

Then again, could this even be considered a date? If not, what even was it?

It all started out simple. Well, as simple as this crazy situation could be. 

David had met a woman. She had come into his shop nearly a year ago for some help with some security cameras around her job. She had merely wanted advice on how to check for why they were short-circuiting and he had happily offered to help. 

And then he found out that she worked at Raven Hill Memorial Mental Institute. 

Her name was Robin McClane and she worked where Elijah Price was being kept. To put it more precisely, she was in charge of the complex individual known as Mr. Glass. That had been the reason that David had decided to approach her after seeing her again after their chance encounter. 

While Elijah should have been locked away in his mind much like he was physically, Dunn couldn’t help himself. His curiosity got the better of him and so he had asked her out to satiate it. All he needed was to touch her. One slight brush and he would get his answers and he could go about his life once more. 

It, however, did not end up being that easy.

Audrey had died four years ago and for the first time he actually felt fond of another woman. David couldn’t explain it but there was just something about Robin that set her apart from other women. He didn’t even have the answers for that one; she just drew him in. 

That’s why, he believed, that he hadn’t touched her yet. If he did and he got what he wanted, he was afraid that he wouldn’t be as excited to see her anymore. He was afraid that he would drop her like he had dropped his normal life all those years ago.

His son, Joseph, kept telling him that he was ‘being a baby’ and that he should accept that he really liked Robin and wasn’t just using her for information on Glass. The day that he got dating advice from his son was almost as embarrassing as confessing to Audrey back in their younger years. 

David was going to raise his hand and attempt to knock when the door was pulled open, bringing him face to face with a young man. He gave a small smile. 

“How you doing, Cole?”

He received a blank stare in reply. “I see dead people. How do you think I feel?”

He gave a chuckle, nodding his head. “Right, right. Sorry about that.”

Cole was in his early twenties, literally having turned twenty one a month ago, with sandy hair that sat around his face and grey eyes. He was Robin’s son. They hadn’t gotten off on the wrong foot, per se, but the young man didn’t quite care for David too much, it seemed. Tossing out things about Ghosts and dead people every time he saw him was a constant thing and it ended any attempt David made to try and talk to the young man, 

David got it, though. A man dating his mom? Not many got along well with that at all, twenties or not. With Cole attached to his mother the way he was, it made it ever harder. 

“Dalv bids you a good day and George says to keep your damn hands to yourself.”

Ah, yes, Dalv and George. The pair of ghosts that Cole saw on a constant basis. Robin had explained to him around the first time they met that her son had a case of DID. The personalities were two men who were, quite frankly, more protective of Robin than Cole was. 

Cole began to step out of the house. “I’m heading out, ma! Behave yourselves.” He gave David another look before moving past him, headed for the silver Kia Soul that sat in front of the house.

David watched as the young man left, taking in the dark jeans and the metal shirt he wore beneath a leather jacket. He turned back to the door when a second form appeared and shook his head. 

“Does he really go to work like that?”

There was a laugh. “He’s got a uniform at the Hospital. He knows better.”

“Do George and Dalv know better?”

Another laugh. “Don’t be an ass.”

Robin McClane had an edgy pixie cut to her red hair, black frames over a pair of green eyes. Dressed in a cream sweater and a pair of black jeans, her smile was bright. 

“Sorry, Can’t help it sometimes.” David smiled, clearing his throat. “Have you thought of where you wanted to go?”

“Well,” She leaned against the doorway, her cheeks tinted lightly. “I thought that, since we couldn’t settle on an idea together, and now that Cole is out of the house, you might want to have dinner and a movie night here? What is it the kids call it today? _Netflix and Chill_?”

David almost felt his mouth drop open. That was not what he had been expecting tonight; not at all. 

“I’ll take the stunned silence as ‘oh my god, she made the first move’ or ‘shit, I don’t have condoms’. Either way, I got you covered.”

Had he been drinking something, he would have choked. His mind didn’t know what to think at the moment and her blushing face didn’t quite help much. Again, outside of Audrey…

And his whole reason for even approaching Robin in the first place only made him feel worse. Touching her, even if just for sex, would give him insight to what he had originally wanted. 

“Your silence is...concerning. If you don’t-”

David practically lunged forward in an attempt to deny that, his words tangled and slurred together before he calmed himself, clearing his throat once more. 

“It’s not that, it’s just...I mean...are you sure?”

She gave a chuckle. “I’m not a teenager. I’m quite capable of knowing when I’m...ready to move things along.”

He rubbed the back of his head. “That’s one way of putting it.”

“The ‘chill’ part doesn’t have to happen, David. We can literally hang out on the couch and make fun of movies. Let’s just see how the night goes, all right?”

“Yeah, right.”

He felt himself calming down but as he entered the home, however the guilt still poked in the back of his mind.

The day turned out to be better than anything he might have come up with. Cooking and goofing off in the kitchen made him feel young again. He never thought that having mashed potatoes flung at him would be so amusing. 

Steak, wine, and even pie. He wasn’t even that fond of blueberry pie but since she had made it, he ate it with a smile. Conversations started about their sons, both seeming to be opposites of the other, and as the holidays got closer, David invited Robin and Cole to his place for Thanksgiving with him and Joseph. His heart leapt with joy as she accepted and he was already plotting in his head on how to impress her that night.

He would have to put his best effort into it all and find recipes. Everything had to be handmade; nothing else would do. 

The conversations turned to work soon after, explaining that he had been asked to redo the cameras for the stadium and he made fun of where he used to work at. It also brought him back to the reason he had started talking to her in the first place. 

He didn’t think he could keep this up. 

“You’ve gone silent on me again,” Robin’s voice drifted across the table. “Is the pie that bad?”

He smiled and set his fork aside. “Not at all. Just some...internal struggles, that’s all.”

Those are always the best one,” Her voice was laced with sarcasm. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“Trying to turn me into one of your patients?”

“First time trials are always free,”

David gave a snort, wiping his mouth with a napkin before resting his arms on the table. “It’s nothing that you need to worry about...I think.”

“If I didn’t worry then where would all the fun be?” Robin set her own fork aside and interlocked her fingers, resting her chin. “If you don’t want to talk about it, then we don’t have to. Just know that there’s nothing that you can say that will change my opinion about you.”

He cleared his throat, tapping his fingers on the table for a moment before readjusting himself in his seat. “Well...uh…” He paused, searching for the right words. “There’s only one way to really clear all this up so I’m just going to do it. The, uh...the only reason that I started...that I asked you out, was to try and get information about one of your patients from you.”

He paused, waiting for her to react, but not even her eyebrow twitched, so he continued. 

“You’ve worked with Elijah Price since he was placed into the Hospital so you must know that I’m the man that caught him and led to his arrest for what he did with that train and everything else before it. When I found out you were his doctor, I...I wanted to check on him and so I got closer to you. That’s how it started, yeah, but now it’s...it’s completely different. You’re a wonderful person, beautiful and smart, and I’ve really enjoyed the time we’ve had together.” 

This was getting more and more awkward as time went on, making him nervous as she only stared at him, face blank.

“What I’m trying to say is...I guess you being involved with Price doesn’t concern me anymore and that I would like to...continue to see you for normal reasons. For the right reasons.”

There was only a few seconds that passed before Robin moved but to Dunn it seemed to last an eternity. Straightening up in her chair, she pushed her glasses up her nose and pursed her lips for a moment. 

“It seems we have been attempting to play each other, Mr. Dunn.” Robin stared at the hands folded in front of her. 

David blinked. “What do you mean?”

“It means that I knew who you were, what your relationship with my patient already was and that’s why I approached you in the first place. Elijah had...so much to say about you that it piqued my interest and I simply couldn't help myself. But there’s more to the story that you don’t know. That Elijah doesn’t know. There’s so much more to all of it.” She looked uncomfortable for a moment. “I just pray that...you aren’t mad with me afterwards.”

“Mad at you?” He frowned more. “Why would I be mad?”

He was confused, yet interested. She said that she had approached him due to Elijah as well but there was something more to it? What else could there really be?

She opened her mouth, thinking of how to explain, before simply holding her hands out. “It’ll be easier just for you to see. Any and all questions afterwards...I’ll do my best to explain.” She gave him another smile. “Just know that I actually, really do like you, David.”

He stared at her for a moment. So, she had some secrets of her own, did she? Was he ready to learn them? 

Did he really have a choice in the matter now that she had addressed it?

That answer was plain and simple. 

With a small sigh, he reached out and gently took her hands.


	8. Reasoning

“And the Tip-Toe man strikes again.”

“Why do you call him that?”

“I think it’s a cute name.”

“He’s going around, beating up people. He doesn’t want nor need a cute name.”

“You’re just jealous, aren’t you? What’s wrong, Dennis? Want a cute nickname of your own?”

“No, I want to finish the book and find out why a Clown chooses to live in the Sewer.”

Emily chuckled to herself, turning from her phone to stare down at the head in her lap. 

“It’s an easy place to lure people into and not be found.”

“How? Who in their right mind would willingly go into the sewers? Or even talk to a person in a storm drain, let alone a clown?!”

She laughed some more as Dennis went off, criticizing the book they were currently reading together. It had been two months since the fight with Barry and, sadly, she had only been able to converse with three people. 

Dennis, Hedwig, and Jade. 

Their last altercation had pissed Barry off more than Emily had thought it would and it had practically ruined everything. Going from 23 different people to talk with to only three...it was devastating. She blamed herself completely and the trio did their best not to talk to her about the others, knowing it would only make her sad. 

Though she didn’t see her, Emily knew that Patricia was now getting the Light again. Nearly every morning she would wake up with one of the English woman’s shawls over her. Patricia was taking the Light at night and having the confirmation that the woman was at least no longer being locked away in Cerebro...it made Emily feel at least a little better. 

She was going to confront Patricia about the issues Barry had with her and Dennis the first moment she was able to speak to the other woman again but for now she enjoyed the company of the ones she had when work didn’t get in the way, even if only three of them. 

“But why a clown? I’ll never be able to look at one on the streets the same again.”

“If I see a clown, I’ll run the opposite direction,” Emily told him. “Or...waddle or whatever it is I do now.”

Dennis tilted his head so he could stare up at her. “I’d carry you, so don’t worry about it.”

“You do give the best piggybacks.” 

“And only for you.”

Dennis was a lot softer towards her than he had been in the past. True, he had been using her lap as a pillow while she read to him since they were children but his hard personality had never been soft to her; not to this caliber. She always saw him hesitate to pick her up or touch her, most likely out of fear of hurting her, and his tone mimicked his actions. 

Several times she had to push him, telling him that she wasn't some porcelain doll now but he was still soft on her. While she did find it a bit annoying here and there, she appreciated his tenderness. It was nice to see this side of him. All sides of him, really. 

“I have to go out for a bit. Shopping and the like. Do you want to go with me?”

Emily was silent for a moment before shaking her head. “We literally went shopping yesterday. What do we need now?”

Dennis stared at the ceiling before answering. “Patricia says that it’s a surprise. Something that can make you...feel better.”

“Feel better, huh?” Emily closed her eyes for a moment before sighing. “Don’t try too hard on my part, you know. I’m almost out of this back brace. I might have to wear this leg one for the rest of my life, but if it means I can walk on my own and not need a wheelchair everywhere, I’ll take it.” She rolled her neck. “I think I’ll just take a nap. Catch up on the new Pendergast novels or something.”

“You said we would read those together next.”

“And I’ve never known you to be a whiner, Dennis. I told you that I would read them to you next. Don’t worry.”

“But I like worrying over you.”

She snorted. “How romantic of you.”

Dennis sat up, starting into her eyes. “I’m serious. With so many of us fighting to spend time with you, it's hard and I worry. Not seeing you can be like Hell itself."

That last comment hadn't been a lie. As the first Kevin's alters, he had known Emily the longest. Had protected her the longest. Going so long without seeing her, having to get updates on her through the others...sometimes he couldn't bear it. He had worried himself so much over what had happened for so long...now that he didn’t have to deal with it, he found that he didn’t want to go through it all again. 

He didn’t want to give the Light up at all; even to Patricia. 

He had begun to tread on dangerous waters and if he did as Patricia wanted...he feared that they would only grow deeper and deeper.

But all this...this was to protect Kevin; and Emily. It was to protect them both. If anyone deserved this protection then it was the two of them. 

If he could bring this protection to them, to the broken, then…

His thoughts steeled his actions. He had to do this. This was the only way and for her, he would do anything. The young girl that he had watched grow all these years...he had felt like nothing but a burden. 

This was his chance to prove that he wasn’t one. 

Emily smiled and closed the book.   
“I’m sorry, for all of this, Dennis.”

He blinked. “Why are you apologizing? You have done nothing wrong, Emily, so stop it or I’ll seal your lips shut.”

She chuckled and nodded. “Fine. Bring back something good for dinner.”

Dennis nodded and stood to leave before turning back to her, a frown on his face. 

“Don’t even think about trying to bathe until we get back.” The redness of her cheeks informed the man that he had assumed correct and he gave her a sigh. “I just want to make sure that you don't hurt yourself. Please, Emily.”

She pouted for a moment before sighing and giving in. “Fine, fine, I promise. Only the couch and the bed for me.”

Leaning forward, he placed a kiss on her forehead before straightening up. “Good girl.”

Taking in the little wave that now accompanied her blush, Dennis strode from their home, a set look on his face as he readied himself for what he was about to do. 

His destination now? 

The King of Prussia Mall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit small, yes, but it also leads to greater things!   
> Now with Dennis going to the mall, I don't think I need to explain what's about to happen, right?


End file.
